Cutoff machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 B. A. OLSEN CUTOFF MACHINE Filed July 29, 1940 July 8, 1941.

Us V xNToR July 8, 1941. B A, QLSEN 2,248,115

CUTOFF MACHINE Filed July 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 8, 1941 CUTOFF MACHINE Burton A. Olsen, Oakland, Calif., assignor to California Cotton Mills Company, Oakland, Calif., a corporation of California Application July 29, 1940, Serial No. 348,238

Claims.

This invention relates to devices for cutting strip or sheet material into pieces of predetermined size.

It is an object of the invention to provide a machine particularly adapted to cutting felted cotton or other bers which are very diflicult to cut rapidly enough for quantity production with the ordinary shear devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cut-off machine which will not become clogged by accumulations of loose bers as in the case of shear devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cut-off machine which may be operated for extended periods of time without fthe necessity of shutting down the machine to replace or sharpen the cutters.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage which, together with the foregoing, will be specifically brought out in the detailed description of the invention hereunto annexed. It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiment thereof herein shown and described as various other modications thereof may be employed within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the cuto machine of my invention. A portion of the view is broken away and other parts are sho-wn in vertical section so as to more lclearly disclose the construction.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View of the machine. The plane in which the view is taken is indicated by the line 2-'2 of Figure l.

In detail, the machine comprises a frame having a plurality, preferably four, of vertical corner posts 3 which are secured together in horizontally spaced relation by upper cross-members 4 attached, in any suitable manner, to the extreme upper ends of the posts 3. Clips 6, attached to the lower ends of the posts 3, are provided for mounting the frame on a floor or other supporting surface. l

Mounted on and rising from a parallel pair of the upper cross-members 4 are spaced pairs of bearing brackets 1 in which are journaled vertically and horizontally spaced pairs of feed rolls 8 between which the continuous strip or sheet 9 of material to be cut off is passed. The shaft of the upper roll 8 of each pair thereof is disposed in ventically extended slots I I formed in each bearing bracket I so that the upper rolls float and are free to move in a vertical direction. This imposes the entire weight of the upper rolls on the material 9 pressin'g'the latter against the periphery of the lower roll so that tractional engagement is had between the material 9 and the lower rolls. Thus, when the lower rolls are forcibly rotated, the material 9 will be advanced. A plate I2, positioned between the pairs of rolls 8 and engaging the bottomof the stretch of material 9 etxending between the pairs of rolls so as to prevent downward sag of the material, is mounted by angle clips I3 on the bearing brackets l; and a chain i4 meshing with sprockets I6, carried by the shafts of the lower roll 8 of each pair thereof, `connect the rolls for synchronous rotation together so that the portion of the material 9 extending between the pairs of rolls will be kept desirably taut during advancement of the material.

Means is provided, movable transversely of the path of movement of the material 9, for cutting the material into pieces of a predetermined length. Located adjacent the lower end of the frame, and attached to opposite pairs of the corner posts 3, is a pair of horizontal crossmembers Il' each of which carries, intermediate it-s ends, a pillow block I8 in the alined bores of which a pivot shaft I9 is journaled. An elongated vertically extending arm 2| is provided having, at its lower end, a hub 22 encircling and secured by pins 23 to the pivot shaft I9, and at its vupper end a hub 24 positioned just below the plate I2. A spindle 26, journaled in the hub 24, has a disk cutter 21 mounted on one end thereof and a peripherally grooved pulley 28 mounted on the other end thereof. A circular belt 29, engaging the pulley 28, extends downwardly paralleling the arm 2| and engages a peripherally grooved pulley 3l carried by the shaft 32 of an electric motor 33 which is mounted on a plate 34 carried by brackets 36 mounted on the pivot shaft I9 by pins 31. The arm 2| maybe oscillated, about Ithe axis of the shaft I9 as a center, so as to move the cutter disk 2l transversely of the path of movement of the material 9 between the limits indicated by the dotted circles of Figure 2, which represent the extreme positions of the cutter disk, and sever the material 9 into pieces of the desired length. The ecutter disk 27 of course extends sufficiently above the upper surface of the material 9 so that the material will be cut completely through during each pass' of the cutter disk and the plate I2 is provided with a long slot through which the cutter disk extends.

The material 9, which the cut-on machine of my invention is designed foroperation upon, is composed of loosely felted vegetable or mineral fibers such as cotton or shredded asbestos or a mixture of the two. This material, as shown in the drawings', is rolled or formed into substantially cylindrical rope-like strips in a machine such as that disclosed in my prior application, Serial No. 348,236, filed July 29, 1940, short sections oi' which are then cut oi 'for use as stemming-wadsfor plugging earth bores in blasting operations. The so-called rope, `after being shaped to its cylindrical form, is given a surface coating of material which forms an outer crust thereon serving `to hold the surface fibers in place and to help maintain the cylindrical shape of the finished wad. lThe usual cooperative shearing knives are not satisfactory for cutting off material of the type described` above the reasons that the knives cannot be operatedsulnciently fast tomaintain a desired prodleten. Speed, leese filers` may eeeumelaterig engage the clutch teeth thereof from the teeth of the hub.

Means is provided for moving the arm 2| so as -f to move the cutter disk 21 transversely of the the knives rd the latter, the pinehing te:

settler of theendefef theriished Wad by the. knives' is highly' @desirable snee it destroys. the y'linrjeel, .ferr'n'ef e11e wre1e1-l @nel the-less ef time "attendent geen having te. frequently Shut'dewi the machine te. ,replace er Sharpen te'k'nve ernsidereble and. materially lowers' the 61111151115 ef theilantle. the machine ef my invert'ien'te `f e; Circuler @utter I obi/ lates these ued'esieble features. er permitting the machine to be run at high speed, preserving the cylindrical"shapeY oftl-ie 'n'ishedw wads andwby extehdng the' runs, of the machine between sharpeningsor replacements of the cutter disk.

Mene''e revledffel: driving the. feed felle, 8. sa as to advriee the material 9 in a direeten longitudinally thereof. Mounted on the corner posts 3, above and positioned transversely of the fossfmembers |51; is. er-Deir ef herijzeratelf @rees members 38. upbnwhehafe mQuntedePaeefl-peirs. of'pillovv blocks 3,9 andjdl, journaling, respective -v ly a jackSha't ft2'V andt an intermediate shaft 4,3,

pathof movement of the material 9. Mountedl on the collar 53 is a sprockety engaging an upwardly extending endless ychain 58 which meshes with a sprocket 59 xed for rotation with a countershaft'l journaled in pillow blocks 62 which are carried by horizontal cross-members 63 mounted on the corner posts 3. Each end of the countershaft 6| is fitted with a crank Comp rising a hub 64, carried by the shaft, having a disk ange 66 thereon on which is xed a crank pien 6".v which is radially offset with respect to the axis of the shaft 6|. The two crank pins 61 are diametrically Vopposed as will be seen in Figure 1. Mounted on the cross-members 38, and coinciding 'with a vertical plane passing through the axis ofthe countershaft 6|, are brackets 68 ealh cfmyng @,Shft. 59; 1.199,1?. WLifhA S J'QUIIlaled a peripherally groovedpulley'lgt, Flexible Steel cables "l2 pass under and engage each ofthe pulleys 1l and have their upper ends eemleeted, by Pitman InenfllfelsY lf3 'With 'tleererlkrins 6 1; and their lower ends, 'by iclevi'sfed pitman mem-` bers 14, with pins 76 secured rin "the larm` 2l. Referring to Figure2,lit'will be seen that when the sleeve 4,9 is shifted,,axiallyoftheinterne diate shaft 43, to the right, the toothedend of; the sleeve will be engaged'with themating clutchv teeth on the collar 53 thereby securing the latter. for, rotation with and by the intermefclateshaft Rotation of the collar will move the chain sto rotate the countershaft 6I thereby causingnthe crank pins 6J to move, is an' orbita ,panna-bode', the axis of the countershaft. This. movement of the crank pins 61 will cause equal.y opposite and reciprocative movement of the -cabl'esfliloyer the pulleys 1I `therelfly "Causing thefarm 2li tobe swung alternately in opposite directions, betlvvgeen af chainiffd'riven'fby a suitable prime mover such" asan electric motor,- not shown, is in mesh, The ljacl=,haf`tl also"car`r ies` la smaller sprocket meshing,withanehdless chain 4l, whieh eng-agesk th'e vsprocket 118v carried by 'a sleeve'l 9,3 journaledon" and' slidable axially. of the in'ter'mediate shaft 4 3; "The'sleev ffat ea'chen'd ther-coil, is'pro-` vided with 'radial 'blutchteeth 5 l. which may4 he brought. into mesh, 'when thesleeveis' reciprocated'axilly in opposite directions,i with corn-A plementfa'ryf clutchteeth formed'f on al h'ub which is'keyed-orY otherwisefsecred to and'fforl rotation with the` shaft.T 4.3,' and on 'a 'collar V5,344 which is journaled f on rthe shaft 4,3. 'I'he-.exy-` treme end or the intermediate. shaft '4e entre@ with' a 's`pro`cket54A which` mes'heswith an upf, Wardly s extending endless chain jfehga'gi'ng l"a sprocket carried by the shaft` f-one of. the'lowe, feed .rolls 8Jy Itfwillvb Selell thatL vl'h'elfllill-efjalk'A-V shaft 42 is being rotatedlbythe-prime'noyer,and therv sleeveflis moved axiallyso that the clutch', teethat Yone end thereof engage the clutch[teethY lof the hub 5 2, thesleeveAS, andthe intermediate shaftv 43, will be secured for rotationjtogether withjtlV result that the,v chain 5,6,Will rotate the'. interconnected lower feed rollsA B thereby a'dvanc-Y ingthe material 94 longitudinally meth-end' ection.

ofthe arrow 51', This longitudinal fagspof,thenia;y

terial 9 will continue as 'long asithesleeveand hub v52 are engagedV and'maybetopped installe'I its t wo extremesl of movement, and causing, the. cutter disk 2l; to repeatedly traverse'the path` off movement of the material 9 thusfsevering.the.l materialt n I Means, is providedfor ralternately engaging the. @hitch Sleeve 4s with lehe'rmt/f5; andfw'iththe' collar 5,3 so that the'materi'al '9 is. movedintermittently `by the feed rollsand, ybetween such movements o fthe materiah` the cutterdisk is.l moved tocut the materialQt Mountedon theV end.. of the jack shaft 42 is a sprocket 1 1 VVmeshing with an upwardly extending endlessr chain :18' which engages aY sprocket-19 carriedon thefend, of a camshaft 63|r journalecl inv pillow blocksjg.

Y mounted onthe Vcross-members 63. The camshaft also 'carries a disk camtjhaving avradially, elevated segmenteft 'thereon'.Y jA camAlever,Siliasv onev end p'ivotally journaledon'a 8,1, CaIIIed by clipsv -lmountedo'none of the cross-members 63?,- and extends transversely across; the other cross-member 63 betweena pair of guide clipsffll. carriedbyth'e latter -crss'-member. 'I'he"extreme", end ofthe cani levr is providedwitha shoef'lll which rests on the periphery of the B3.' y A connecting rod 92' isApi'votally attaehedfatone, end to the cam-lever 8,6 Vand attheftherend with one leverf9 3-ofa bell crank pivotally mountedy on a pin 94 secured` -au'ossfmemloer Elfi"vvhih extends between two offv the `corner,posts The,

other'lever 91 of thebellcrank, is formedjwithl a yoke 96, which straddlesthe sleeve 49, andis;

provdedpwth 151115.99 which engage a.1v.e.r,ipher2l` gIQQi/e lill formed. in iihe sieeve. ,As the', jack, sharm; is rotateg, theY chair; 1a, willt drive the,

camshaft 8| thereby rotating the cam 83. When the shoe 9| of the cam lever 86 rests on the portion of the cam of least radius the cam lever will be in its lowermost position which will position the bell crank so that the clutch sleeve 49 is at its left-hand extremity of travel engaging the clutch teeth of the hub 52. This, as was eX- plained above, will connect the feed rolls 8 `to be driven so that the material 9 will be advanced. As the cam 83 continues to rotate the elevated portion 84 thereof will ride under the shoe 9i thereby causing the cam lever to move upwardly. This movement of the cam lever will impart movement, through the connecting rod 92, to the bell crank to move the clutch sleeve 49 to its right hand extremity of travel so that the sleeve and the collar 53 are interconnected. This movement will disengage the previously connected sleeve and hub 52 so that advance motion of the material 9 is stopped and movement of the arm 2l to pass the cutter disk 21 transversely of the material 9 is started. Continued rotation of the cam will :again bring the depressed portion thereof below the shoe 9| whereupon the cam lever will drop by gravity, the sleeve 119 will be shifted to its left hand extremity, and the clutch members will again be connected to effect ladvance movement of the material 9. The sprocket ratios between the various shafts and the cam are preferably such that the minimum length of material which may be cut from the supply strip thereof is one which extends from the cutter disk 2i to a point between the confronting peripheries of the right-hand pair of feed rolls 8, as viewed in Figure 1, at which there is sufficient tractional engagement between the rolls and the material to insure that the severed pieces of material will be carried off by the feed rolls. The extension of this minimum cut-off length may be accomplished by decreasing the size ofthe sprocket carried by the feed roll shaft and driven by the chain 56.

Having thus described my invention in detail, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cut-od machine comprising a supporting frame, pairs of rotatable feed rolls carried by said frame and tractionally engaging strips of the material to be cut, an arm mounted for pivotal movement on said frame in a direction transverse with respect to the path of movement of said material, a rotatable cutter journalled on said arm and engageable with and to cut said strips of material during movement of said arm, means mounted on said arm for rotating said cutter, means for intermittently rotating said feed rolls to progressively advance said strips of material, and means for moving said arm between rotations of said feed rolls.

2. A cut-off machine comprising a supporting frame, pairs of rotatable feed rolls carried by said frame and tractionally engaging strips of the material to be cut, an arm mounted for pivotal movement on said frame in a direction transverse with respect to the path of movement of said material, a rotatable cutter journaled on said arm and engageable with and to cut said strips of material during movement of said arm, a motor mounted on said arm, means connecting said cutter to be rotated by said motor, a driven shaft journaled on said frame, drive mechanism for rotating said feed rolls, drive means for moving said arm, and means for alternately connecting said driven shaft with said drive mechanism for rotating the feed rolls` and with said drive means for moving the arm. l y y 3. A cut-off machine comprising a supporting frame, pairs of rotatable feed rolls carried by said frame and tractionally engaging strips of the material to be cut, an arm mountedv for pivotal movement on said frame in a direction transverse with respect to the path of movement of the material, a rotatable cutter journaled on said arm and engageable with and to cut 4said strips ofmaterial during movement of said arm, a motor mounted on said arm, a belt connecting said cutter to be rotated by said motor, first and second shafts journaled on said frame, means connecting said first shaft and said feed rolls for rotation together, means connecting said arm to be moved by and upon rotation of said second shaft, a driven rotatable clutch member journaled on said frame, and means for engaging said clutch member, alternately, with yand to rotate said first and second shafts.

4. A cut-off machine comprising a supporting frame, pairs of rotatable feed rolls carried by said frame and tractionally engaging strips of the material to be cut, an arm mounted for pivotal movement on said frame in a direction transverse with respect to the path of movement of thematerial, a rotatable cutter journaled on said arm and engageable with and to cut said strips of material during movement of said arm, a motor mounted on said arm, a belt connecting said cutter to be rotated by said motor, first and second shafts journaled on said frame, sprockets carried, respectively, by said first Shaft and a feed roller, an endless chain meshing with the first shaft and feed roll sprockets, radially offset crank pins carried by and movable orbitally about the aXis of said second shaft, said crank pins being relatively disposed diametrically opposite With respect to said axis of the second shaft, guide pulleys carried by said frame, cables connected at one end with the respective crank pins,

engaging said guide pulleys and secured at their other ends with said arm, a toothed hub secured on and for rotation with said first shaft, a toothed collar journaled on said first shaft in axially spaced relation with respect to said hub, sprockets carried, respectively, by said collar and said second shaft, an endless chain meshing with said sprockets of the collar and the second shaft, a power-driven toothed clutch sleeve axially slidable on said first shaft and positioned between said hub and collar, and powered means for shifting said clutch sleeve to alternately engage said hub and collar.

5. A cut-off machine comprising a supporting frame, pairs of rotatable feed rolls carried by said frame and traetionally engaging strips of the material to be cut, an arm mounted for pivotal movement on said frame in a direction transverse with respect to the path of movement of the material, a rotatable cutter journaled on said arm and engageable with and to cut said strips of material during movement of said arm, a motor mounted on said arm, a belt connecting said cutter to be rotated by said motor, first and second shafts journaled on said frame, sprockets carried, respectively, by said first shaft and a feed roller, an endless chain meshing with the first shaft and feed roll sprockets, radially offset crank pins carried by and movable orbitally about the axis of said second shaft, said crank pins being relatively disposed diametrically opposite with respect to said axis of the second shaft, guide pulleys carried by said frame, cables connected at one-endwith-the-respecti-ve: crank pins, engaging said guide pulleys Y-andvsecured at their other-ends with said; arm, a'toothed hubsecured on and forvrotationwithsaid rst shaft', a` toothed collar Vjournaledi on saidl=rst shaft in axially spaced relation with respect tosaid hub, sprocketsV carried, `respectively, by said colla-r and said second shaft', an endless chain meshingwith saidsprocketsof the collar and thel second shaft, a powerdriven toothed clutch sleeve axially slidable on -sa-id virst shaftand positioned between said hub and col-lar; Va bell-crank pivotally mounted on said frame and having one lever arm thereofv eng-a-gedl withA saidy clutch sleeve, la cam shaft journaled on said; framermeans connecting said' cam shaft torbe rotated synchronously with saidvr first shaft', said= camshaft ha-Vingwa disk carnmounted on and for rotation-therewith, a cam lever pivotallyV mountedV atV one end on said frameA and having the other endy thereof engaginggthe periphery qfsaid cam, and aconnecting rod pivotally connected at its respective ends'with said cam'lever and' the otherv lever -arm of said bell crank in such aA mannerthat upon' movement of said camlever-by said cam said bell crank' will beY moved to alternately engage saidl clutch sleeve with said hub and collar.

BURTON A. OLSEN. 

